Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | James Craig Watson |
Discovery site | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
Discovery date | 24 August 1867 |
Designations | |
(93) Minerva | |
Pronunciation | /mɪˈnɜːrvə/[1] |
Named after | Minerva |
1949 QN2, A902 DA | |
Main belt | |
Adjectives | Minervian, Minervean /mɪˈnɜːrviən/ |
Orbital characteristics[2] | |
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 146.14 yr (53379 d) |
Aphelion | 3.1429 AU (470.17 Gm) |
Perihelion | 2.3711 AU (354.71 Gm) |
2.7570 AU (412.44 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.13998 |
4.58 yr (1672.0 d) | |
Average orbital speed | ~17.86 km/s |
262.022° | |
0° 12m 55.116s / day | |
Inclination | 8.56143° |
4.06265° | |
274.543° | |
Physical characteristics | |
154.155±1.298 km (IRAS)[2] 156 km[3] | |
Mass | 3.8×1018 kg (calculated)[a] |
Mean density | 1.9 g/cm3[3] |
Equatorial surface gravity | 4.139 cm/s2 (0.004221 g)[4] |
Equatorial escape velocity | 8.035 cm/s[4] |
5.982 h (0.2493 d)[2] | |
0.056±0.008[2] | |
C[2] G?[3] | |
7.91[2] | |
93 Minerva is a large trinary main-belt asteroid. It is a C-type asteroid, meaning that it has a dark surface and possibly a primitive carbonaceous composition. It was discovered by J. C. Watson on 24 August 1867, and named after Minerva, the Roman equivalent of Athena, goddess of wisdom. An occultation of a star by Minerva was observed in France, Spain and the United States on 22 November 1982. An occultation diameter of ~170 km was measured from the observations. Since then two more occultations have been observed, which give an estimated mean diameter of ~150 km.[5][6]
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